Mercedes-Benz L 710

The Mercedes-Benz L 710 was a two-axle short-bonnet truck built from 1961 at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Mannheim. For its first two years, 1961 to 1963, it was sold as the L 323. It was the smallest of the Mercedes-Benz short-bonnet trucks, although a cab-over version, the LP 323, was also built. The range included the basic flatbed, the LK 710 tipper, the LS 710 tractor unit and, introduced later, the all-wheel-drive LA 710 chassis and LAK 710 tipper. The first trucks used the OM 312 inline six-cylinder four-stroke diesel with pre-chamber injection, which was later replaced during production by the larger direct-injection OM 352. The chassis was a ladder frame with rigid axles on semi-elliptic leaf springs, hydraulic brakes with compressed-air assistance and a five-speed gearbox, with left- and right-hand steering both available.